The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-06-25
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
This will Amusc the Hoys.

who recently held high grade in
Masonry, but who has now forsaken
the craft, owing 10 reasons Of a politi-
cal nature. The work gives detailed
description, of the constitution, rules
aud rites sot French Masonry, and it is
,~ceStai My Interesting, whatever be the
facts. TfOin the account of the initia-
lion ceremonies at the Lodge Of the
Grand Orient Of France one learns that
there is considerable amount of clap
trap connected with il which appears
incredible and contemplate to an
American or British member of the
fraternity. s.The postulant," says the
author, ''after being conducted through
labyrinth of passages, is finally shut
up in a.narrow little closet, and is or
dered 10 draw up his last will and
testament. The walls of the cell are
black and adorned with skeletons,
death's-heads and cross-bones. There
is no window, and d geslight gives a
dim light. The furniture consists Of a
table and stool. On the former are
placed skull and cross-bones. Sud-
denly the gasIight is extinguishcd, and
sliding panel opening in the wall
reveals cavern lighted with scpul-
chral lamps. A decapitated head
lying on blood stained napkins meets
the gaze, and Il voice sounding from
the wall against which the candidate
leans, exclaims in awe-inspiring tones
that the head is that Of u perjured
brother who had disclosed tho secrets
of the order. The means employed
for this trick are very simple. The
block on which the head appears to
K Il
of the performer, who holds his eyes
shut and his mouth slightly open.
The sepulchral lamps are the result Of
champhorated spirits mingled with
coarse salt, which, burning with IL
greenish light, give Il cadaverous APP
pearance to the head. The awful tones
of the voice ale obtained by talking
down a speaking tube. Some Of the
panels in the wall are of ground glass,
behind which a magic lantern is intro
duced, showing moving spectres in-
creasing in size and apparently starting
forward to devour the postulant, or
masked men Of life size who appear TO
be sts3bing an individual bound hand
and foot with cords.
cat length, when the opening cere-
monies arc terminated, the Master
directs that the postuiant be sum-
moned. The latter, before leaving his
cell, is stripped of every ves;ige of
clothing, a cord is tied around his
waist, aud a mask put over his face 50
as to blindfold him completely. Thus
attired, he is conducted to the door of
tue hall where the lodge is in session,
and, after knocking three times, is ad-
mitted and placed between two pill.
lars at one end of the room, the point
of sword being held SO as to slightly
prick his breast. After a long kind of
catechism has been gone through with,
and the postulant has expressed his
readiness to submit to the terrible
trials to which he is about to be eX-
posed, the President gives an order TO
plunge him into the cavern. Immedi-
ately two muscular brethren seize him
and fling him back ward into frame
covered by several sheets of stout pa
per, which is held in an inclined posi-
ton. or course the paper gives way
and the candidate falls, at full length
on mattress placed on the other side.
At the same moment the door is
banged to, and an iron ring shaken up
and down a notched iron bar makes
turned several times. The candidate
is then subjected to n further cate
chism, sitting between the two pills
lars on Il stool brstIing with nails and
resting on uneven feet. While in the i
act of taking the oaths tho soup of
oaths' fatal to perjurers, is handed to
him. The cup is divided into two
compartments, which turn on Il pivot.
The ore contains water, the other an
exceedingly bitter connection. At the
moment when he commences the for
mula of the oath he is given some of
the water to taste, and at the words if
ever l break my OATH the upper part
of the cup is turned imperceptibly
round so that the bitter drink is
brought to his lips.
tsHe is then started off ON what is
called the first journey, which is IL
weary perambulation of the lodge from
east 10 west varied by a series of child
ish farces. First the candidate is
made to walk very slowly, and then
he is dragged along hurriedly. Sud-
denly ho is stopped and told to duck
his head because of II vault, and then
he is warned that there are obstacles
to be crossed, and is made to jump. |
Next he Is told that there are steps To
be mounted, and that he must lift his
right foot, aud as there is nothing of
the kind he naturally stumbles. He
is taken along planks on rollers which |
give way beneath him. He is forced |
TO climb other plauks like sce-saws,
which suddenly throw him into space.